Oil atomizer



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Patented Mar. 15, 19272 UNITED T JOSEPH J'. BABKA, OF BERWYN, ILLINR.

OIL ATOMIZER.

Application filed October 13, 1923. Serial No. 668,268.

My invention relates in general to oil atomizers, and the principal object is to provide a new and improved centrifugal atomizer for oil burners of the well known rotary type. Stich as is shown and described in the ll. S. patent to Ray, No. 1,385,376, granted Nov, 19, 1918. By an improved construction, I am able to obtain a much more perfect atomization of the ordinary grade of fuel oil, which materially assists in securing the essential intimate mixture of the oil atoms with the air which is required lfor perfect combustion.

While as stated my improved atomizer is designed especially for rotary oil burners, its use is not necessarily so limited, but it may be used to atomize oil for delivery to an oil engine, or for other purposes; and a further object, therefore, isto provide a centrifugal atomizer for use with internal combustion engines, making it possible to operate such engines on much lower grades of oil than have heretotore been considered practicable.

The foregoing and other objects and the means bv which the same are accomplished will he described fully hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which shows a cross section through the nozzle ot1 a rotary oil burner equipped with my improved atomizer.

Referring to the drawing, the reference character 1 indicates the nozzle of the burner, which it will be understood is adapted to enter a suitable opening in the front of the furnace, while the reference character 2 is a motor driven shaft which rotates the atomize'r and fan (not shown). rlhe usual ranes for directing the air current are indicated at 3 and 4. These parts are all ot `well known construction.

The atomiaer is attached to the end ot shatt- 2 and comprises two cup shaped members 5 and ti, preferably of bronze, and having a peculiar configuration which is shown clearly in the drawing. The rear cup 5 is 'provided with' a hub 20, which is attached to the end ot shaft 2 by means ot internal screw threads as shown in addition, rear cup 5 has a tomrardly entendi1 g inner ring 7, which is 'threaded irnaly on the end to receive the tin led portion et the front cup ii secured tothe same time they are readily detachable for inspection, cleaning, or repairs.

Outside the inner ring 7, the rear cup 5 has a. series of projecting rings or concentric annular flanges 8, 9, and 10, which interlock, so to speak, with a corresponding series 11, 12, 13, and 14 on the front cup. That is, the several flanges are arranged alternately on the inside and outside of cups 5 and t, A respectively, and form a series of connected annular spaces between the two cups. Each fiange preferably has a curved inner surface, on the order of a parabola, the curvature. being greatest where the iange joins the cup and gradually decreasing in both directions. The edge of each tlange'is sharp and clean cut, and lies in close juxtaposition to the curved surface of the opposite flange.

Oil is fed to the atomizer through the pipe 15, which is carried inside the hollow shaft 2. and is discharged through a goose neck cxtension'lt' into the central chamber formed by ring 7. A series ot slots such as 17 permit the passage of oil through the Walls ot the chamber. A metal disc 21, with up turned edge, is held in place by friction. and closes the inner chamber just in trent of the slots 17.

The shaft 2 is preferably sealed against the entrance of air at the end opposite the atomizer, but is provided with a port 22 8 which may be entirely or partially closed by a tight fitting rotatable sleeve 23.

rlhe operation is as follows: When 'the motor is started shaft 2 is rotated at high speed, rotating the atomizer with it, while at the saine time the fan causes a strong current ot air to How through the annular air discharge passagebetween the atoniizer and. the inner surface et the nozzle. delivered through pipe 15 it is discharged onto the inner surface of ring 1, where it l imparted to it a rotational Velocity wht causes it to spread in a lilni (due to cer tritugal torce), and whence it eventue y escapes through the slots 17' "ad strilres ange 11. Upon reaching liang again spreads in a tilm and fiows toward ie rear over the curved surface et the tlange until it is discharged off the edge onto 8. The direction ot flow is then reve.. and the oil flows over the sur?n ce et toward the 'liront until it is discharged ont the .n ilange Continuing its oil. is f vmanner the oil flows over and is discharged from the remaining flanges in succession, and finall after being atomized, reaches the annular c ischarge orifice at the edges of the two cups, whence itis discharged into the path of the air current, is mixed with the air, and is consumed.

Since the annular air current completely surrounds the annular oil discharge orifice an injector action is set up which assists in the discharge of the atomized oil. The air port 22 may be entirely closed, in which case the atomizing chamber is sealed against the entrance of air, or it can be opened to any desired extent to provide a regulated current of air through the atomizing chamber which mixes with the oil as it is atomized and to some extent modifies the process.

The exact process by which the oil is atomized is more or less obscure, since it cannot be observed, but in general the operation is thought to be about as follows: As the oil flows over the first flange it of course attains substantially the samerotational velocity as the flange itself and is discharged over the edge in a film each component particle of which takes a direction tangent to the circular edge of the flange; Thisfilm then strikes the next flange, where some atomization may take place due to impact, but at any rate,`the film formed on the next flange is thinner because of the increased rotational velocity imparted to the oil and because'of the increased area of the flange. Thus the film formed on each succeeding flange is thinner than the film formed on the preceding one andeventuall the film becomes so thin that the sur ace tension is overcome and the molecules are released.

A considerable variation in oil supply is possible in accordance' with the amount of eat required. In order' to enable a very small quantity of oiI to be handled with uniformity the end ofthe goose neck 16 is preferably adjusted quite close to the inner ring 7 so that the rotating surface will pull the oil evenly out of the opening and u prevent the formation of drops.

for an oil engine.

While I have shown and described a cervtain specific embodiment of my invention, I

am aware that changes and modifications may be made, as will no doubt occur to ersons skilled in the art, and I do not there ore wish to be held to the recise form and construction shown, but esire to include and` have protected by Letters Patent all forms of my invention which come fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an oil atomizer, a cup shaped'me1n outside thereof.

2. In an oil atomizer, Ian atomizing chamber, two valternate series of annular flanges projecting within said chamber from opposite ends thereof, and two concentric flanges extending .forward from the op osite ends of said chamber, respectively, sai last mentioned flanges being spaced apart to form an annular assage for conducting atomize oil from sald chamber.

3. In an oil atomizer, two members forming a short cylindrical chamberz a series of concentric annular flanges rojecting into said chamber from one end t ereof, a second overlapping series of similar flanges proj ecting 1nto said chamber from the other end, and means for dischar 'ng atomized oil from said chamber in a irection substantially parallel to said flanges.

4. In a rotary oil atomizer, a short cylindrical atomizing chamber, an annular discharge opening at one end of said chamber, means for introducing oil at the center of said chamber, and a series of concentric annular baffles between the point at which the oil is introduced and said discharge opening.

5. In an oil atomizer,a plurality of concentric annular flanges, means for introducing -oil within the inner flange, a shaft for rotating the atomizer to cause the oil to flow over said flanges successively, and a cylindrical member outside said flanges for diics recting the atomized oil in a direction substantially parallel to said shaft.

6. In an oil atomizer having an atomizing chamber and an elongated annular discharge passage, means for mtroducing oil in sa1d chamber, meansv for rotating the atomizer to cause the oil to flow through said chamber toward said opening, and a series of ballles extending parallel to said discharge assage for changing the direction of the oiFa plurality of times.

j 7. In an oil atomizer, a hollow shaft, a member-secured to the end of said shaft, a ring and. aseries of flanges projecting from the facejof said member, a second member secured to said ring and positioned adjacent the ends of said flanges, a second series of flanges projecting from said second member and alternating with the flanges of said first series, an openmg in said first member opposite the end of said shatfor introducing oil within said ring, and an opening in said ring for allowing the oil to escape onto the first of said flanges.

weones! 8. ln an oil atomizer, a cup shaped member having aseries of flanges on the inside projecting forward from the bottom thereof, a projecting ring inside the inner flange, a second member secured to the end of said ring and enclosed Within the Walls of the said tirs-jt', niember, and a second series of flanges projecting backward from said second member and arranged alternately with the Vflanges of said first series.

9. ln a. fuel oil burner, the combination, with a tnlonlar nozzle, of an oil atomizer positioned inside said nozzle and spaced apart. therefrom to forni an annular air pass age, means 'for introducingV oil inside said atomizer, a. series of bullies for rondncting the oil over ay devious path through said atoinizer in a general direction perpendirlrlar to said air passage, and inea-ns for dis charging the atoinized oil in a direction substantially parallel to said air passage.

l0. ln a fuel oil burner, the combination, with a tubular nozzle, of an oil atoinizer positioned inside said nozzle and spaced apart therefrom to torni an annular air passage, means or introducing oil inside said atomizer, a series of loatlles for conductingT the oil over a devious nath through said atomizer and means for dis'llargpgiinnr the atomizedoil in an annular stroan'i having the same general Vdirent-ion as the direction of the air stream through said air passage.

ll. lln an oil atomizer, a plurality of concentric annular tlanges, means for introducing oil within the inner flange, means for rotating the atoini'zer to canse the oil to flow over said flanges successively, means for dischargingr the at-oinized oil in an annular stream. and means for preventing the flow oli air through the atoinizer to .the inside of the stream of atolnized oil.

Signed at Chi lago, county of @ook and State ol' illinois, this ninth day of Uctober, 1923.

JOSEPH J. BABKA, 

